Residents return home months after deadly apartment fire in Ho Chi Minh City

Residents have been able to return to the Carina Plaza Apartment Complex in District 8, Ho Chi Minh City, about seven months after a deadly fire killed 13 people.

Hundreds of families have been allowed to come back home after the Ministry of Construction finished examining the quality of the buildings.

According to the observation of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday, security guards of the buildings had been back to work, while hundreds of motorbikes of residents entered and exited the parking basements throughout the day.

“We are all happy to return to our home. No place feels like home,” said Nguyen Van Hoa, a 65-year-old resident.

An employee cleans up the hallway of an apartment building. Photo: Tuoi Tre

“I have been back home for about a week. Some services such as Wi-Fi and air-conditioning have yet to be complete,” Hoa continued.

“I hope everything will soon be as good as they used to be.”

Nguyen Bao Nguyen, another resident, has spent the past days on repairing and replacing damaged furniture and appliances in his apartment.

“We are planning to throw a small party in early November to mark the return,” Nguyen stated.

A resident hangs her clothes inside an apartment within the complex. Photo: Tuoi Tre

At around 1:00 am on March 23, a blaze broke out in the parking basement of the apartment complex while most people were still asleep.

Thirteen people were killed and multiple others injured, while hundreds of motorcycles and automobiles were burned down.

The developer of the apartment complex began repair works and improvement of the fire safety system on June 29.

The affected residents were given VND300,000 (US$12.8) per day over five months to help pay for their temporary accommodations elsewhere.

Many sewers along the streets in Ho Chi Minh City have their entrances blocked by garbage on a regular basis, negatively impacting urban esthetics and the environment while helping cause serious flooding.

Despite the sweltering weather in Hanoi these days, many young people still flock to lotus ponds surrounding the capital city’s iconic Ho Tay (West Lake) to pose for Instgram-ready photos with a sea of blooming flowers.